PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 2871, 2 May 1872, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Yesterday. ADDRESS' IN REPLY. Mr McGlashan did not consider the progress of the country as satisfactory, and attributed that to the bad administration of the laud laws. In other respects the speech was interesting. He thought more might have been said on the yield of gold. The school of mines and assay office were most important, but he should like to see a number of young men trained to mining. He considered bursaries might be given advantageously to proficients in m'ning. With regard to education, - more schools were wanted than could be supplied. By a scheme (not the present scheme) the General Government ought to provide a national system of education. He was glad encouragement of native industries was brought under notice, as it might tend to the development of our coal fields. He hoped the Land Bill would be such as the Ucneral Assembly would approve. He should have liked the reply delayed until the absent members came down, but was not prepared to move an amendment

Mr iMervyn expressed dissatisfactson with the portion of the address referring to education, as our present system might be considered denominational. He had examined several books read in schools at Naseby, and found a very objectionable work, which he called D, O’Beany’s history of the reformation (presumed D’Aubigny)—this bethought very objectionable. He objected to the sale of land to Mr Clarke, and instead would have sold the railway in Southland. The Government were evidently ignorant of the interests of the Province, and the sooner there was a change thj better. The land resolutions should not occupy much time, and the sooner honorable members returned home the better.

Mr Thomson objected to the statement that nearly the whole of the money voted for roads and bridges was ex pe 11 do 1. He should like to know where. One hj n. member said, “ Probably in the Clutha district; but very little had been spent there during the year. He concurred with the views expressed in the Address on education. He should not R-mnort any proposition to sell ayiiculfcural land for revenue purposes. It would have been fortunate if more complete statistics of ration of the Province to the Col ny had WuShed. He found it was L 42.000 worse than last year m its receipts. ihe dark as well as the bright side should be Irnnwn He considered the position of the Province and Council were unsatisf ctory. Thev did not know what to do noi uhat to snood Bid aft. r Bill was passed m the Aqsemb’v which should have been considered £ the Council. Immigration was taken from them; but were they making mam wLls ’ That was an important question ; for no provision was made for opening up the country bv main lines of communication. The Council should not spend time m disusing abstract propositions. The Council wi in a state of jeopardy It would be Viptter to know the worst, and not have the (general Government hanging over the.r heads like the sword of Damocles. MrE B. Cargill was not surprised that it had been suspected that more than one pel - sou S a baud ill the address. was rdadeto the University, and he thought It Black would be surprised to seethe announcement of a School of Mines under him, as if it we?e established; for it was neither fact W replicable He had consulted the Chancellor ami Vice-Chancellor of the University respecting the Bill to be introduced, S; the Professors evo atom members of Council H would place the whole nracbicallyin the hands of the ProesTofs P to who y m it would be distasteful and ho trusted the Government would disavow their intention to make auch a breach in its constitution. He trusted the Council would see its way to the endowment of the University, so as to render it independent of an annual vote. He concurrcd with the views expressed m education. The nrooosed Bill would not be satisfactory, for R placed the whole control on the Minister and would in its preseat Sane confer such advantage on aided schools as to force the Colony into a denominational svstem One point was certain under any Bvatem—it must come to be supported by a local rate, because provincial revenue was sUopin" away. The Council would be forced to take’that into consideration at an early dav It was a mistake to abolish that local rate-it was an unworthy agitation, and it was a pity it was effectual. He would not SludeVthe land laws. He was gad the new San Francisco contract was likely to be brought into a satisfactory shape. He always looked upon exclusive advantages frot/it, and the Colony would he better in paying a fair share for an Australian service SSltriving after a monopoly at a heavy C °The Provincial Treasurer asked the Council to baav in mind the extraordinary position in which the Superintendent stands in relation to the Executive. Being an elective officer, he can only address the House by ““a’e or by address. 1 f the address contained onothing 0 nothing very objectionable, tive would not op :ose it. ihe address on the whole had been well received. It contained what his Honor thought would be beneficial to the University. The statistical statements were from official returns and were as accurate as could be obtained from the departments. He was surprised at the fault found by the member for Aorth Harbor. It had never been the object of the Council to limit the quantity of land to be purchased by one person He JiA not think it would be desirable to mteifue in land not strictly agricultural. He feai cd.the hon. member for North Harbor was too sanguinc respecting a general sj s cm o ec u < tion. How was that to be provided by boai d . (Mr M Glashau : The Bill states so). Ho quite admitted the General Government should provide a system applicable to districts neglecting to provide; but where educational systems had been provided, they should keep themanagementwitn themselves Some members had twittingly said that the address contahied references to abstract questions; but those members had raised questions which it was out of the power of the Council to determine. It was .rue tha, the country had been promised some fuudemental alterations in the constitution, but he looked forward to them with some doubt They might be introduced with a great flourish of trumpets; but there was the probability that in a short time they would require to be greatly amended; and the country would be leffc_ in the position it occupied at the present time. Mr M'Kenzie, alluding to the reference to businesses in the address, thought piovision should be made to encourage the establishment of a butter and cheese factory. After a few remarks by Messrs H utcheson and Duncan, the address in reply was passed, MISCELLANEOUS. On the motion of the Government, addresses to the Superintendent were adopted, asking that section 2‘2, block 3, Blackstone, might be set apart for a cemetery ; that section 2, block 5, Kyeburn, be set apart a? a coal reserve ; that section 1, block 1 (30 acres), Cromwell, be set apart as a recreation reserve ; that, in terms of his Honor’s message No. 1, the Council approved of sections in Longbush and Elbow townships being fixed at the size surveyed, and the upset price recommended ; that Messrs J. M. Baker and T. Hughan be appointed assessors under the Waste Land Act, 1860 ; that the claim of Mr James Reid for compensation for losses sustained in connexion with the Traquair Hundred be referred to the Private Petitions Committee. HOI* PLANTIN'! The Provincial Secretary moved that the Council concur in his Honor’s message No. 3, and approve of the sale to Mr W. L Leggatt of one acre of land at Mocraki, under sec. 28 of the Waste Land Act. He said Mr Leggatt had improved the land considerably, jpid had laid it out as a hop nursery, having already 2000 stems. As it was desirable to encourage a new industry, the Waste Land Board recommended the sale to Mr Leggatt. •without putting him to the risk of competition. On Mr Thomson’s motion, the debate was adjourned till Monday. FOREST TREES. On the motion of the Provincial Secretary it was agreed to recommend Lis Honor- to apply to the Governor to declare the Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Act, 1871, to be in operation in Otago. The House, at its rising at 3.3U p.m., adjourned till 2 p.m. next day,

This Day. The Speaker took the chair at two o’clock. OAMARU HOSPITAL, The Provincial Secretary moved that 2000 acres of land specified, be set apart as an endowment for Oamaru Hospital. Mr M‘Lean moved an amendment, because the laud was not sufficient for the purposes of the hospital, and that the committee had had another block at Doctor’s Creek surveyed by direction of the Superintendent, which he proposed should be substituted for the laud proposed by the Government in Kauroa district. Before the amendment was put, the Provincial Secretary said it bad come to his knowledge that it was arranged by the committee to lease the block in question to the ruuholder. and that in consequence a number of settlers could not be expected to settle upon it ; and as for having been surveyed by direction of tbe Superintendent, if so, it was only another illustration of the very unsatisfactory method of the system of elective officers being placed in a position in which they were°to some extent responsible, and to some extent irresponsible for the acts of the Executive. If it was so surveyed, it was done without knowledge of Government. Dr Webster supported the amendment. Ho was ignorant of the arrangement mentioned by the Provincial Secretary, and did not think the object of the resolution of the last Council would be carried out by en (lowing the hospital with 2000 acres, only worth 10s an acre. Mr Sumter defended the Committee in proposing to lease the laud to the ruuholder, on the ground that the laud asked by the Committee was forty miles from Oamaru, and that it was the best mode of diriving a revenue from it. Mr Hutcheson supported the amendment, as the Committee intended to put the laud to such uses as to render further assistance unnecessary, [Left sitting.]